Willing Enough
by tielan
Summary: Major Lorne faces the interest of a local woman from Pegasus. Somehow, he can't help thinking of the SG team lead who ended up engaged to a local princess while on a routine meet and greet...


**NOTES**: A slightly odd concept, but one that I wrote for a friend who was down in the dumps. I realise that Lorne's first name has been given as "Evan" and not as "Mark", but this was written before I knew that, and only being posted now.**  
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**Willing Enough  
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"Teyla says you come from a world without _thali_," said Danlavi as they stepped off the paved road-path leading from the Stargate and onto the coarse blue-green grass avenue that led to the Moelian guest-village.

A little surprised at the direct query, Mark Lorne glanced with some wariness at the Moelian woman walking beside him. She tilted her head in query as she caught his gaze, and he smiled briefly as he answered. "That's right, ma'am. It's not a common custom in our world."

Danlavi shook her head, a froth of dark curls bouncing around her bronzed shoulders. "It seems so strange to us - that the men should have no assistance dealing with the women - but then doubtless you feel our ways are strange as well."

"The idea takes some getting used to," Lorne said, hedging for all he was worth. He doubted he - or any other man on the expedition - would ever 'get used' to the idea of being _thali_.

"But you could accustom yourself to the practise?" This time, there wasn't any mistaking her tone. The Moelian woman was definitely being coquettish.

Mark was flattered by her interest - Danlavi was statuesque and stunningly beautiful - but he was also a little wary. Teyla had briefed all members of the negotiating party on the rules before they came to Moelia, and assured them that the Moelia were accepting of _kan parditay_. Still, Lorne couldn't help remembering Captain Bannock of SG-17, who'd unintentionally pledged himself to an alien princess while on a routine meet-and-greet back in the Milky Way.

And he really didn't want to end up as a _thali_ in a _parditay_ culture.

He kept his expression light. "I don't know," he hedged. "My mother always said I was bad at sharing my toys." As soon as the words were out, he internally winced, hoping that she wouldn't take offence to the likening of a wife to a toy. Thirty-four or not, his mom would whack him one with her paintbrush.

But Danlavi only tossed back her head and laughed. "It is not for every man," she said as they reached the close cluster of stone houses that was the guest-village for . "But my _thali_ are often glad of each other - that they have time for themselves and not only attending to me." Her eyes gleamed warmly as a tall, rangy man approached them from out of one of the guest-houses, "And I am glad of my _thali_ - for without the variety, I should be very bored!"

Mark smiled a little as he glanced around, checking on the other members of his party - Dr. Weir was engaged in discussion with one of the Moelian elders, Lieutenant Hyson was listening interestedly to a young Moelian woman, and Teyla was smiling broadly at something one of the Moelian males had just said to her. As she turned to answer, she saw Mark watching and half-arched a brow, asking if he needed help. Mark shook his head, both eager and reluctant to drag her away from her admirers.

"...cozening a _khatey thali_." The tone of voice caught his attention - a light tone of voice, but with an underlying possessiveness that was only too plain to Mark.

The newcomer had slid his arm around Danlavi's waist, fitting her into his side with obvious affection.

"Jealousy does not become you, Anden," Danlavi said, brushing one hand along the man's jaw so he turned his head towards it, leaning into the caress. "And I would never cozen a _khatey thali_ without the consultation of my _thali_."

Belatedly, Mark realised they were arguing about him. He met the man's expression squarely as a new voice added, "And his people are _kan__parditay_. They are _kan thali_ and would not take well to becoming so."

Danlavi grinned. "See how Teyla speaks the truth," she said to Anden before she addressed Teyla. "I am very disappointed that you bring us _kan thali_, Teyla. It is very cruel."

"Cruel was not my intention, Danlavi," Teyla said, smiling. "We come to trade. Just not in _thali_."

"Well, if Major Lorne were willing, I would cozen him - _after_ consulting my _thali_," she added as Anden made a warning noise in his throat. "And it seems that this _thali_ is in need of a little attention from his _pardita__kopi_. So if you will excuse us..."

Her roll of the eyes as she dragged the lanky Anden away was equal to any expression of exasperation Mark had ever seen one woman give another on Earth. He bit back a grin. Some things didn't change, no matter what galaxy you were in - or whether a woman had one husband or a dozen.

When he looked back, Teyla was watching him with laughter in her eyes. "Danlavi has four _thali_, already," she said. "And seeks another, so it seems."

"Not me."

"She is a good _pardita kopi_. Her _thali_ are happy with her." Her gaze swept the neat village. "It is an arrangement that works for the Moelians."

He watched her as she smiled briefly at a cluster of Moelian men. One grinned back in an open invitation, and Mark had the sudden urge to slip his arm around Teyla's waist as Anden had claimed Danlavi. "Would you have been a...a _pardita kopi_?"

With a rueful smile, Teyla admitted, "Ronon already jokes that I have _khatey thali_ enough in him, Colonel Sheppard, and Rodney."

Mark half-smiled. "And they're happy with their _pardita kopi_?"

"They have not complained." Her eyes gleamed with mischief before she smiled. "I do not think that any of the men I would consider cozening would be _thali_ - not willingly."

"And if we were?"

Her start alerted him to what his question implied a moment before his mind caught up with his mouth.

Mark fought the urge to wince, to stutter some apology, or to take back what he'd just said. He hadn't meant to imply that she found him attractive enough to 'cozen' but he had - and he hoped she did. Not just because it would be a boost to his ego, but because...she was Teyla.

And she was regarding him with a very steady, very calm gaze. Beneath that gaze, Mark felt as though the entire universe contracted down to just the two of them standing on the short grass of the Moeli guest-village lawn - a question and a challenge.

"I do not think I would enjoy being _pardita kopi_," she said at last. "One man is enough effort to maintain."

Mark frowned. It sounded like she'd had prior experience of 'maintaining a man' - that, or she might be referring to any or all of her team-mates. The serious turn of the conversation made him uncomfortable, so he asked, lightly, "You'd be happy with just one?"

Her mouth twitched, but her attention was drawn away as Dr. Weir called her name and signalled that they were going into the guest-village meeting house to start the negotiations.

Teyla started off after Dr. Weir, then paused, and turned back with a smile that retained a seriousness about it. "I would be happy with a man I...cared about, and who cared for me in return. I would not ask such a man to share me if he was not willing, Major."

An in the instant while she waited for an answer, Mark realised didn't have an response that he didn't consider dangerous.

After a moment, she turned back and continued on to the meeting house.

But as he followed her over, Mark reflected that he understood why a man might endure being _thali_ for such a woman as Teyla.

- **fin **-


End file.
